Young Hearts
by Jackie-May376
Summary: The last to see his mother alive, to watch his siblings abuse, to fall in love with another. Was this his destiny? Neglected by her clan, neglected by her family, to fall for another. Was this her destiny? Useless feeling overwhelmed him, nothing to be proud of, false hope for the future. Was this his destiny? He saw pain in her eyes, she saw his eyes soften. Was it their destiny?
1. Clans

The Young Heart

Sun Clan

Leader: Brackenstar: long fanged, golden tabby tom with green eyes

Deputy: Alderfoot: large tabby tom with blue eyes

Medicine Cat: Cloverpool: small gray she-cat with blue eyes apprentice, Cindersky

Warriors

Beechleaf: black and white tom with yellow eyes apprentice, Applepaw

Blackthorn: large black tom with blue eyes apprentice, Brightpaw

Aspenpelt: light gray dappled tom with amber eyes apprentice, Echopaw

Cedarclaw: long clawed brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes apprentice, Finchpaw

Cloudfur: dark gray tom with blue-gray eyes apprentice, Honeypaw

Crowheart: black she-cat with gray stripe and blue eyes apprentice, Juniperpaw

Nightfeather: dark gray she-cat with white paws and amber eyes apprentice, Ravenpaw

Pebblecloud: fluffy gray tabby tom with yellow-orange eyes

Frostfall: light gray and white tom with amber eyes

Briarwind: light gray tabby she-cat with pale yellow eyes

Dovefeather: gray she-cat with blue eyes

Acornpelt: dark brown tom with yellow eyes

Featherbird: fluffy gray tom with one orange one blue eyes

Jayleaf: gray she-cat with blue eyes

Stoneheart: gray tom with blue eyes

Oaksun: golden brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Apprentices

Cindersky: dark gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Brightpaw: bright green eyes black she-cat

Applepaw: ginger-red tabby tom with blue eyes

Echopaw: dark ginger she-cat with yellow eyes

Honeypaw: golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Juniperpaw: ginger she-cat with green eyes

Ravenpaw: pure black she-cat with blue eyes

Queens

Ashclaw: dark gray-black she-cat with amber eyes (mother of Pebblecloud's kits)

Alderkit: dark tabby tom with amber eyes and black tail, legs and underbelly

Copperkit: golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes and blackish blue stripes

Redkit: dark ginger she-cat with gray spots on face and green eyes

Birdheart: white tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Frostfall's kits)

Dearkit: gray she-cat with black patches and orange eyes

Cypresskit: gray and brown tom with blue eyes

Dapplekit: white she-cat with black spots on side and blue eyes

Elders

Conetail: spiky tailed black and white tom with blind green eyes

Night Clan

Leader: Alderstar: black tom with yellow eyes

Deputy: Bluewhisker: long whiskered blue-gray tom with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Blossomseed: small red-ginger she-cat with blue eyes apprentice, Mistleleaf

Warriors

Boulderpelt: dark gray tom with brown eyes

Appleshade: dark red-gray tom with blue eyes (brother of Blossomseed and Boulderpelt) apprentice, Jaggedpaw

Marshleap: long legged dark tabby tom with dark green eyes apprentice, Loudpaw

Owlthroat: large eyed black tom with white dappled throat apprentice, Breezepaw

Raggedrippel: brown tom with white patches and green eyes apprentice, Mintpaw

Slateblossom: small black she-cat with red-gray eyes apprentice, Mosspaw

Vixenheart: dark ginger she-cat with white patches and blue eyes apprentice, Sagepaw

Nectarbreeze: ginger and black she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentices

Breezepaw: fluffy long legged black she-cat with dark blue eyes

Jaggedpaw: dark red tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Mistleleaf: black and red patched white she-cat with green eyes

Mintpaw: black and gray dappled white she-cat with red chest fur and one blue one green eye (sister of Jaggedpaw and Mistlepaw)

Loudpaw: large footed white tom with black stripes and green eyes

Mosspaw: amber eyed tabby she-cat

Sagepaw: gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

Queens

Dewwing: silver, white, gray she-cat with black stripes and pale icy blue eyes mother of Rushfur's kits

Cinderkit:silver, white, and gray she-cat with black marks, pale blue amber eyes

Lakekit: silver, white, gray she-cat with icy blue eyes

Webkit: light gray feathered furred tom with blue eyes

Brownkit: gray and black tom with amber brown eyes

Leopardkit: spotted white gray she-cat with blue eyes

Shadekit: dark gray flecked white she-cat with one amber one blue eye

Elders

Hootwatcher: brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Meadoweye: multi-colored she-cat with blind blue eyes, deaf white ears, and the oldest cat of all clans

Poppyfern: golden she-cat with dark green eyes

Rowanfur: pale red ginger she-cat with blue eyes

Moon Clan

Leader: Jaystar: light gray tabby she-cat with pale blue eyes

Deputy: Flameshard: long fanged/clawed fire red-ginger tom with dark green eyes

Medicine Cat: Blackshimmer: shiny black she-cat with amber eyes apprentice, Archwhisker

Warriors

Blizzardbloom: red patched white she-cat with red-amber eyes apprentice, Crowpaw

Antheart: small black tom with gray underbelly and blue-black eyes apprentice, Goosepaw

Furzebush: fluffy dark gray, light gray dappled tom with large orange eyes apprentice, Rabbitpaw

Kestralfur: red she-cat with blue eyes and white paws and underbelly apprentice, Morningpaw

Lightnigheart: large, strong legged tabby tom with violet-blue eyes apprentice, Shinepaw

Petalfall: small, broken tailed ginger she-cat with white and gray splotches and blue-violet eyes (sister of Lightningheart)

Pricklefoot: sharp clawed, spiky furred tortioseshell tom with yellow eyes

Quickflight: swift, long bodied silver-ginger she-cat with light amber, morning colored eyes

Sedgetail: long, spiky tailed dark tom with yellow eyes

Apprentices

Archwhisker: curled whiskered black tom with blue, green, gray eyes

Crowpaw: small black tom with dark gray nearly black eyes

Goosepaw: gray tom with black and white spotted tail and pale blue eyes

Morningpaw: bright ginger, white, black, red, gray, and silver she-cat with large cherry red amber eyes

Shinepaw: bright silver, gray tom with yellow eyes

Queens

Cherrysong: gray tabby she-cat with white flecks and blue eyes mother of Flameshard's kits

Dustkit: dusty pale ginger tom with white green eyes

Ferretkit: red tom with dark green eyes

Hazelkit: pale tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Lightkit: bright red-ginger she-cat with blind green eyes

Meadowkit: ginger, gray, white, silver, and black she-cat with dark blue eyes and long tail, claws, legs, and body

Slatemist: pure black she-cat with green-blue eyes mother of Jaystar and Lightningheart's kits

Dappledkit: gray spotted black she-cat with green-blue eyes

Lightningkit: strong legged black she-cat with violet-blue eyes

Mistkit: black she-cat with violet eyes

Elders

Heronfeather: feathered gray dappled white tom with silver blue eyes

Olivesnow: black she-cat with blue eyes

Blossom clan

Leader: Hailstar: large, muscular dark gray tabby tom with dark yellow orange eyes

Deputy: Ashpetal: dark gray spotted ginger she-cat with blue gray eyes apprentice, Dawnpaw

Medicine Cat: Beechsong: small dark silver gray she-cat with green eyes apprentice, Briarcloud

Warriors

Creekheart: white chested, tailed, under belly brown she-cat with icy blue eyes apprentice, Dewpaw

Frogstep: dark brown tom with silver stripes and green eyes apprentice, Mothpaw

Lilypuddle: white she-cat with silver and black striped back and legs, green gray eyes

Littlefish: black tom with white stripes and gray eyes

Longstrike: long legged, tailed black and white tom with pale amber eyes

Oakfern: light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes apprentice, Violetpaw

Wolfflight: black, ginger, gray and white tom with fluffy dark brown tail and dark hazel eyes apprentice, Snowpaw

Apprentices

Briarcloud: small light ginger she-cat with bright, mischievous blue eyes

Dawnpaw: pale golden brown ginger tom with pale green eyes

Dewpaw: bright light gray she-cat with white dapples and silver blue eyes

Mothpaw: golden tabby tom with ginger and white markings, thick furred, bright yellow amber eyes

Snowpaw: white she-cat with silver-gray eyes

Violetpaw: unusual violet blue eyes black she-cat

Webpaw: large white tom with light gray dapples and stripes, green eyes

Queens

Whitestream: white she-cat with amber eyes, mother of Longstrike's kits

Featherkit: black tom with amber eyes

Sagekit: white tom with amber eyes

Quickstream: silver tabby she-cat with pale orange eyes mother of Otterfur's kits

Scorchkit: black and ginger splotched she-cat with blue eyes

Splashkit:black tom with strange silver markings and pale eyes

Sweetkit: black and white she-cat with amber eyes

Blackkit: black she-cat with blue eyes

Ravenkit: black she-cat with amber eyes

Elders

Mouseear: small eared brown tom with ginger amber eyes

Patchberry:ginger patched white tom with blue eyes

Silverheart: silver tom with black chest orange eyes

Sundrop: bright ginger tom with yellow eyes

Tawnystripe: pale ginger she-cat with yellow eyes


	2. Chapter 1

Five small kits burrowed themselves into their tabby mother's belly. A small black tom lifted his head up, hearing the night wind blow outside of the den. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see a silver tabby looking down at him with surprise. "Splashkit, you've opened your eyes," she meowed. Her voice was creamy and soft, at that moment, Splashkit knew this was his mother. Curling closer to his mother, he mewed softly before closing his eyes to sleep.

Later that night, a loud, painful yowl shook the camp. Opening his eyes, Splashkit saw blood, not just any blood. It was his mother's blood. It was Quickstream's blood. Splashkit looked up to see a large, spiky furred tom with yellow eyes. He couldn't see the exact pelt color, but he could tell it was a tom. Before he knew it, he was gone.

The Blossomclan cats ventured out of their dens to see the comotion. Seeing the silver tabby she-cat lying in the clearing, blood dripping from a large deep scratch going from her throat to her soft white underbelly. A small black kit with strange markings crawled towards his mother. Crying out into the sky, the kit mourned the death of his mother. He opened his his pale blue/orange eyes, to look to the clearing to see his clan. With anger he cried to them to help her, no cat came to help the dead she-cat. The only cat to come over was Whitestream, the other queen taking care of her own kits. She had decided that she would raise him and his siblings so Whitestream took care of the motherless kits. The old queen was moody, and would claw the kits if they misbehaved. Splashkit would watch as the queen slashed her claws across his youngest sister, Ravenkit's neck. Splashkit grew infuriated at the sight of his small sister earning the most punishment from the abusive queen. The clan knew this was happening, but did nothing. This made Splashkit bitter towards his clan. His hate for the clan carried on to his apprenticeship to his mentor, Littlefish. Infact, it grew more and more. His mentor tried to get the young tom to do his duties as an apprentice. Splashpaw would not listen. Splashpaw growled at his mentor Littlefish, "how dare you think I'd take care of those mangy fleabags." The apprentice launched a patch of dirt at his mentor who just barely dodged it. Littlefish turned to his apprentice abruptly, anger in his eyes. "you need to learn the way of the clan, and if taking care of the elders does so, then so be it." The small black tom turned his back, before meowing calmly. "Take your catch to the elders, and clean out their bedding. You can ask Beechsong what to do next." Taking his leave, Littlefish padded away from his disrespectful apprentice. "Stupid fox-heart thinking I'm going to take care of those mange pelted old cats, they should go die for all I care." Splashpaw whispered to himself. Padding away to the opposite direction of the clan camp. Why did he have to let his clanmates tell him what to do. It's not like they cared about him. He had watched as Whitestream abused his siblings because they had gotten under her paws, annoying the elders. The elders had chosen to tell them a story. He thought of a way to feel wanted. Would leaving help? Maybe night clan will take me in.

Traveling to Nightclan was difficult seeing as he had to travel through Sunclan territory to get there. "Halt!" He heard a tom's growl, "What do you think you're doing on Sunclan territory?" Splashpaw looked at the large tabby in front of him, along with 3 other cats. The young tom snarled at the 4 cats in front of him. A black she-cat, who was obviously an apprentice, threw herself at him. Splashpaw protected himself by dodging quickly, turning around and clawing across her back. The she-cat yowled loudly, she tried clawing him in the eyes, he quickly dodged again, and clawed at her face, leaving a scar across it. The three other cats glared at the black and white tom, "leave this place." Growled the tabby, "you are not welcome here." Splashpaw snarled, snapping at the large tom. "I will not leave," the snarls grew. "So be it." The tabby lunged at him, claws unsheathed. Splashpaw was thrown to the ground, he felt blood bubbling up from his shoulders, the tom pinning him to the ground. Splashpaw looked up towards the black she-cat in front of him, her scar welt up with blood. She looked back at him, then turned to the other tom, "Alderfoot, this battle isn't fair." The tom, now known as Alderfoot, turned to the apprentice. "No battle is fair, Brightpaw." Splashpaw crawled out from under the larger cat while he was distracted, he didn't escape without more claw marks, or scratches. The apprentice sped off, stumbling on tree roots, and catching his fur on bramble thorns. He finally made it to Nightclan territory, and then he heard a terrified, cat like yowl.


	3. Chapter 2

Featherbird watched as the sun-high patrol stomped into the camp, Brightpaw having scars upon her face. "What happened!" A large booming voice bellowed. "Brackenstar," Alderfoot started, "there was an intruder from Blossomclan." Brackenstar stared the deputy down, "Cloverpool, take Brightpaw." The old medicine cat looked at the leader, bowing she mewed. "Yes, Brackenstar." Brightpaw followed her, "now, is the cat out of our territory?" Alderfoot answered, "Yes, bu-"

"Good." Brackenstar started, "I want patrols on Blossomclan border." The clan deputy dipped his head, "very well, Brackenstar." Featherbird watched as the deputy started planning border patrols, he had been assigned to the next day's sun high patrol. Figuring he would hunt, Featherbird padded towards snake rocks.

Reaching the snake infested area, Featherbird heard a terrible yowl coming from the Nightclan border. It sounded like a young cat, Featherbird leaped onto the thunder path without thinking of monsters. Once reaching the other side of the border, Featherbird raced to the sound of distress. The young warrior then bumped into a black and white apprentice, he smelt of fish. Blossomclan he thought, the cat snarled at him. He had large scars along his shoulders and sides, large amounts of fur ripped from his pelt. Looking into the cat's pale blue-orange eyes, he saw anger. The younger tom took off in the direction of the yowling, Featherbird following him close behind. The yowling got louder as the two got closer, Featherbird feared for the cat in trouble. Reaching a clearing in the pines, the toms saw a white apprentice with black markings. The cat was being attacked by a large tabby, the tom drug the smaller to a hole in a tree. The small white and black tom coughed up blood that joined the blood coming from the deep gashes pooling around his body. Featherbird leaped at the large tom, snarling him down, claws unsheathed dug into the tabby's shoulders as he leaped onto his back. Featherbird rode the tom, he saw that the black and white Blossomclan apprentice joined into the battle as well. The apprentice clawed at the toms eyes, batting his ears with his claws. The tom fled from the ambush. Featherbird leaned down next to the wounded, whimpering apprentice. The large young warrior nudged the young tom's face, "let's get you back to Nightclan, where your medicine cat can take care of you." Featherbird took the apprentice's scruff in his jaw, when he heard an unfamiliar voice. "Have fun with that." The apprentice's glare grew on the young warrior, "it's your problem, not mine." The apprentice attempted to slip away. Featherbird stopped him, placing himself between the apprentice and the pine forest. "And who says I'm going to let you invade night clan? I should take you back to sun clan camp so you can explain why you trespassed on our territory." The apprentice glared at him. "Last time I checked we were on night clan territory, therefore you can't tell me what to do." Featherbird knew that now that the apprentice was on night clan territory, he was no longer sun clan's problem. But he was on night clan territory too. "We should both leave this territory." The apprentice shook his head. "I'm not going back to blossom clan. I was going to join night clan. You might want to take that apprentice back to see a medicine cat before it's too late." The apprentice left the shocked warrior with the injured night clan apprentice. It would probably be best if he took him to sun clan. It was much closer, and he had no idea where the night clan camp was.

Featherbird carried the young cat across the thunder path, the cat's whimpering disappeared with the Nightclan scent. The warrior gently put him down, his breathing was low, but still there. "Featherbird?" he heard, it was his sister Dovefeather. He looked up to her, "before you scold me, he needed help and the camp was closer." The gray she-cat stared at him with disappointment, "you crossed the border? do you know how mouse-brained that is?" His sister seethed, "you could have been caught or worse, killed." Featherbird looked to the white and black apprentice, "can't we talk about this later, he's dying." His sister looked down to the apprentice sympathetically, "ok, but afterwards you need to explain yourself."

The two warriors rushed the apprentice to the medicine den, "Cloverpool." Dovefeather called. The small old gray medicine cat's apprentice, Cindersky, padded out of the herb smelling den. The apprentice gasped, "get him into the den quickly." The warriors brought the dying apprentice to the den, Cindersky telling them she would take care of him and told them to leave. "Featherbird, Dovefeather what is going on?"


	4. chapter 3

Cinderkit leaped onto the leaf, growling in pure delight. She heard a small annoyed squeak coming from her sister, Lakekit, "Cinderkit, go away. No one wants you here. Why did you have to be born?" Cinderkit pressed herself to the marshy campground, "I'm sorry, Lakekit." She looked to her small paws, "you rat, sorry doesn't cut it."

"Be nice, Lakekit," their mother, Dewwing called. "Yes, mother." Lakekit meowed innocently while glaring at her sister. Cinderkit drop lower onto the ground, "yeah that's right, rat, crawl on the ground like the rodent you are." Lakekit walked away to play with the other kits, the kits who always picked on her. Cinderkit tried to follow, but was easily pushed away by her siblings.

There was a loud yowl ringing in Cinderkit's ears that early leaf-fall morning. Peeking out of the nursery, Cinderkit saw a black tom with silver markings and pale eyes. "What is a Blossomclan cat doing in Our camp," Growled the clan deputy, Bluewhisker. The strange smelling cat puffed out his chest. "I have come to join night clan," the strange cat meowed confidently. Bluewhisker glared at the tom-cat, so did several of Cinderkit's other clanmates. The new cat looked interesting. "What is this?!" A large black tom, with gleaming dark yellow eyes called out. "Alderstar, this Blossomclan cat decided to come into our camp," Flameshard growls menacingly. "For all we know, he could be a spy sent by Hailstar." Cinderkit watched Alderstar's large muscular shoulders shifted as he walked forward to see the cat. The Nightclan leader stalked towards the young cat, lifting his head and puffing his chest out. "No other clan cats are allowed in Nightclan's territory." he snarled. The smaller black tom growled, "and who said I was going to take 'no' for an answer." His voice sounded calm and collected, yet it was also menacing and scary. "Alderstar," Cinderkit squeaked. "Are we going to help him." The large tom looked down at her, glaring at her with cold eyes. "Dewwing, take care of your rat." He snarled, Dewwing came towards her young kit, picking her up by the scruff. The new cat looked at the young kit. Cinderkit saw sadness and anger in his eyes, he's lonely, she thought. The kit struggled in her mother's mouth, "let me go." The young queen placed her small kit to the ground, "Dewwing, get that rat away from the clearing." Alderstar snarled. Dewwing shrank down before her leader. Cinderkit watched as the new cat started snarling.


	5. Chapter 4

Splashpaw watched the angry leader snarl at a young queen with a small kit sitting next to her. The kit was at least three moons old, she was a mixture of black, gray, and white. Her innocent, but hurting, green eyes bore into him. He felt as though she could see right through him. "Dewwing, get that rodent away from the clearing," Splashpaw turned to glare at the leader. The apprentice knew this feeling, loath. "Listen to your leader Dewwing," slash, blood pooled on the ground at the leader's feet. Alderstar snarled, blood bubbling out from where his eye once was. "How dare you, you insolent fox-hearted rat," Splashpaw growled lowly in his throat, the large leader's blood splattered against his black and white paws. Bluewhisker, the deputy, lunged against the young cat's shoulders pinning him to the ground where the apprentice could hear the young kit crying hysterically. Splashpaw struggled against the strong tom's claws that dug into his shoulders, the apprentice fought to stay conscious, but failed.

When awaking he noticed he was in a strange den, where he noticed a small red she-cat sleeping deeply in a corner. A black, ginger and white she-cat sat opposite of him grinding what smelt of herbs. "You're awake," she unemotionally meowed. "Well aren't you observant," Splashpaw hollowly growled under his breath. "Listen, I suggest you not talk to a cat, who saved your life by the way, that way." The two apprentices glared at each other, "I didn't ask to be saved."

"You didn't have too," she meowed.

Splashpaw stood up just to fall right back down, "you're weak," she stated "rest up and you can be on your way and bother Sun Clan."

The sun shone in Splashpaw's eyes as he slowly awoke, the small kit he had seen the day before was staring down at him. It still felt as if she were looking through him, knowing what he had been through. "You're awake," she squeaked in her high voice. "Yeah." he meowed. The kit's eyes brightened. "What's living in blossom clan like?" This kit was strange. Asking about blossom clan. "It's not as great as you would think." She looked at him confused. "Why? Shouldn't a cat love their clan?" Splashpaw grunted. "Why would I love a clan that hurt me and my siblings after our mother died." She looked at him in disbelief before he eyes lit up again. "Why don't you stay here than?" She asked innocently in naiveness. "I can't. You saw what happened with Alderstar." She looked down at her paws. "Then… Come visit again. I promise that you will be welcome." He rolled his eyes. "You may welcome me, but your clanmates will not." She tilted her head confused. "Then come visit me! I'm Cinderkit by the way." He chuckled at her. "I'm Splashpaw." Her face lit up. "Splashpaw… I like it." The two continued to talk, Splashpaw even showed her the scar he had gotten when he had clawed Hailstar in frustration. "Cinderkit, get away from that cat," the kit's mother, Dewwing called. A gray and white kit slowly walked up to sit by the queen, "yeah, Cinderkit, get away from the cat."

Later, Alderstar walked up to the apprentice, the place where his eye once was, was swollen but closed. "It is time for you to go," his voice bouncing off of every rock, tree, and bush in the camp. "Go before I kill you!" The apprentice looked to the kits prodding Cinderkit with their sharp claws. The kits were hurting and teasing her, he noticed. "Go now!" Alderstar snarled. Splashpaw took one last look to the hurting kit, and ran.


	6. Chapter 5

Featherbird turned to find Brackenstar staring down at him and his sister. "Brackenstar, he was hurt and needed treatment right away," Featherbird started. "A Night Clan apprentice is in our camp," the large golden tabby growled, his green eyes scornful. "He should not be here." Featherbird looked up to his leader, "please Brackenstar, Featherbird was just trying to help." Dovefeather tried, Brackenstar looked down to the young warrior and sighs. "He leaves when he has recovered," the leader said. "But until then, you two have responsibility of him." The two siblings watched as the leader left.


	7. Chapter 6

Splashpaw's return to camp was not welcoming. Whitestream made sure she was the first to walk up to him, she swiped her claws across his flank painfully. "You stupid, fish-brained cod." She started, "never do that again." Littlefish had walked up to the apprentice scolding him for running off. "What were you thinking," he looked up at the large apprentice. Splashpaw looked down at his mentor, "I was thinking that if my clan didn't want me, I would live somewhere else." He heard Whitestream growl, "you ungrateful fish, I took care of you after your mother died, and this is how you repay me." He stared up at his adoptive mother, "and that's the only thing you did." He exclaimed, "the rest of the time you would abuse my siblings and I."

"Stop all this nonsense." Hailstar's booming voice sounded. All cats looked up at their leader, "Splashpaw, what were you doing running away from your mentor like that?" The apprentice stared into the large tom's eyes angrily, "I don't have to answer to you." Splashpaw broke eye contact. "Splashpaw, you are being demoted to taking care of the elders, no help from your fellow apprentice." Hailstar walked away from the seemingly emotionless apprentice.


	8. Chapter 7

A quarter moon had past, the apprentice, now known as Loudpaw, was nearly recovered. Tonight was the gathering, Brackenstar was to announce Loupaw and the strange black and white apprentice that had trespassed.

"The cats coming with me tonight are Featherbird, Dovefeather, Nightfeather, Cedarclaw, Beechleaf, Blackthorn, and Briarwind." Brackenstar announced, "and as for apprentices we will bring Applepaw, Brightpaw, Finchpaw, and Ravenpaw."

As the group of cats padded to four trees, Featherbird looked behind him. There he saw the small black striped white apprentice following him. "What are you doing following us?" He asked, the apprentice looked up at him. "I want to go back to my clan," he mewled. "What's the hold up?" The clan deputy, Alderfoot, asked then looking down at the young cats in front of him. "I see," he scornfully said unemotionally. "You need to be back in camp with Cindersky," Loudpaw looked down to the ground lowly replying. "Cindersky let me go." The deputy's eyes widened in shock, "Cindersky would never do that." Featherbird looked back and forth at the two cats, and then replying. "I will escort him back to camp."

"Then do so." Alderfoot then turned and caught up with the group. Featherbird glanced down at the apprentice, "you'll get to go home soon enough." He meowed gently, "but until then you need to stay with Cindersky." Loudpaw lifted his head up at the warrior, "I need to go back." He mewled sadly, "if I don't, Cinderkit will be left with all the terrible cats in the clan." Featherbird sighed. "You can't do anything about it. You need to worry about yourself right now. That's what's important." Loudpaw glared up at him. "Not to me. The most important thing to me is making sure that Cinderkit is safe!" turning his head away Loudpaw sprinted the opposite way of the Sun Clan camp, he was headed to Night Clan territory.


	9. Chapter 8

Running hurt, his body screaming for him to stop. Looking behind himself he saw the large, fluffy gray warrior running after him. "Loudpaw stop," he called. The oldest Night Clan apprentice looked in front of him, noticing that his clan territory was just in front of him. Large paws found themselves into his shoulders, pinning him down. Featherbird growled. "You'll see your clan again, but you need to be patient." Loudpaw felt as the tom's paws released themselves from his fur, he looked up towards the cat who had saved him from his mentor, Marshleap. The apprentice went limp, he felt the gentle warrior take a hold of his scruff. Loudpaw allowed himself to be carried to the Sun Clan camp.

"Loudpaw!" He heard a voice he held dear in his heart. Cindersky. The dark gray she-cat's amber eyes lit up at seeing him, not that he noticed. She looked over his injuries and was sure to patch them up after Featherbird had told her he had tried to run.

* * *

Dovefeather looked around the clearing looking for a certain tom. Spotting the gray tom, she walked over to him. "Dovefeather, there you are." He exclaimed happily, "Furzebush, it's good to see you." She meowed lovingly, she and Furzebush had been in a secret relationship for about 7 moons now. They had met at her first gathering as an apprentice. Furzebush had been a warrior at the time so they had to wait for her to earn her warrior name before they became mates. "Dovefeather, you look more glamorious than usual tonight." Her Night Clan friend, Slateblossom, exclaimed. "And you look as beautiful as usual," the young warrior meowed.

"Let the gathering begin." The cats heard the eldest leader, Jaystar of Moon Clan, called in her light but authoritative voice. "In the past moon we earned 3 new kits of Slatemist, their names are Lightningkit, Mistkit, and Dapplekit." Happy congratulate yowls flooded the clearing. "But sadly we lost Olivesnow, she served her clan well, Hailstar you may proceed." Giving the Moon Clan leader a grateful nod, Hailstar spoke. "One of our apprentices ran away from the clan this past moon, I apologize to any cats he has bothered or harmed." Hailstar continued, "other than that, the fish continue to swarm the river and my clan is well fed." The Blossom Clan leader nodded towards the Night Clan leader, Alderstar. "We have lost an apprentice, my son Loudpaw, he has been missing for a quarter moon now." Cats from Moon Clan and Blossom Clan started talking in surprise, "He is white with black stripes and green eyes." Brackenstar looked towards the upset leader, "do not worry Alderstar, he will be returned soon enough." Alderstar stared at the Sun Clan leader, "you have him?" Several Night Clan cats snarled at the Sun Clan cats, "yes we have him." Brackenstar started, "he was severely injured, one of my warriors found him and the only way he would have survived would have been to come to my camp." Alderstar's face lightened slightly, and then hardened again. "When can I expect him home." He asked, "I will have my warriors escort him to you tomorrow morning if you want him now." Alderstar nodded in affirmation, "very well, Brackenstar, we will meet at the border." Jaystar stepped between the two leaders, "this gathering is over, you may go to your camps now."


End file.
